Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-05
UrAH's Staten,
The Recent Constitutions, =
Participated in by M,s s'atI
Alone. A9a|
What They Hope to A,,,n.,
Admission to the upio,1I \
shrswd schen,, !

W a4ahe the 4,
extract from a private letter f,sn %
Der of the Utah Commiss;on 'N
sion at Salt Lake City. 1t tb, r'S
of light upon the movcm.n, ot ..
mons for statehood, and IN. y
governing their action. an, nm
with interest:
SALT LANE CT J.,
Our commission Is ', ~
gett ng the election mac,inar. ~ Wy
the coming election, Will t.'i.a Ing
the frs: Monday in Angus s.'e n!
good deal of excitement he,e a. aA !,
iect; not between Democrats w. w
licans, but between MORMON. a 'n.
or anti Mormons. IL"
The movement for const init.
vention which you observed and 1' rs
while was in Chicago was n .n ,'s
movement among the Mormonycp 0. N
say spontaneous movement i
understood to mean that the NJ
originated with the Mormon lea5s|
in their own way gave forth tb h" ' :
ton that such action was to be talos
was al that was needed to max" 4s !.
cess. Mass meetings w,re bell !,
county in the Territory, and j.
chosen, who assembled by preconss
raneement in this city on the ls.l,Si
formally organized themselves ~
stitutional convention, and in aIm
days Matched out q constitution !,
polygamy is declared a mis,l.ueo"
forever prohibited; and another p,os
any union of church and state, n
ter provision was wholly unnecess,-
three-fourths of the vo. ers of the n
are Mormons and under the ri
dominion of the church rulers IN
every Mormon owes sworn Mia
and who from the Temple can d,e
whole policy of the State, when Al
without the clerical hand ever bein1
In the event of admission as a Sta,I
tenths of all the oflice-holders ND
Normons. The Governor, judges
ators, Representatives and all Office,
be Mormons, and the whole poljc1
State, legislative, executive, ami \
would be Mormon and in Mormon
ests. Punishment for the crimes Of
amy and bigamy would be in Id
hands, judg and juries being Nd
hence there would be no conyiclio|
any punisi ment for these o1icnses
they would not consider that they h
any wrong in not doing so, Tor tIey
and many believe, that these practi
carried on by the sanction OF God al
That it is not only permitted D
joined as a religious duty
they are taught that their
ence to God and His reyela
superior to any human law, VIII The
lative or constitutional. The p.Q
though standing GU, boldly in the
tuition, would be a dead letter and
more meaning or binding force
many meaningless hieroglyphics
Egyptian pyramid. There is anol
ticeable fact. The leading poly
are not taking any active part in i
ceeding. and are in position not
caught by any promises or woAiu
They will hold still, letting " Ne |
stood that they are asserting whe|
really are not, because they wish ta|
ritory admitted as aiState, so that lid
mons may get control of the country
they will forge to the front and assn
reins of power. There are somd
shrewd, far seeing men among the !
they are laying their plans wide and
and to extend far into the future.
The constitution is to be submitted
general election for approval or I'd
by the people, and it is probable the
not be vote against it, since the 4
wholly and totally ignore the who!
ceeding. and will not take any
tice of it except to dcnoun|
as being the sublimity of hypocsisi
deceit. 1t will get the full vote 4
Mormons who can vote. Many OF
are DISTINGUISHED. and will not vol
that they could not do SO, as the elsc|
not held under any election law, buy
wish to publish to the world that neg
qualified electors voted on it. Aux
will abstain from voting from mct1
policy otherwise.
I think the press of the country Oh
take up this question and ventlla,
motives and inducements that are
TO the adoption of this Constituted
to prepare the public mind for an Il
sion on it. In my opinion Utah
never be admitted as State until il1
stitution of the United States is all !
prob biting bigamy and nolygmly
the States and Territories, declaring
telonies, and giving the United
Courts jurisdiction of them and thf.|
% select juries who do not respect q
vine right of those crimes.
Suppose Utah wei. admitted asa
what is there to prevent these Ncs1
who are in large majority, from M
ltely calling together a convcrtie]
framing new constitution, with the
my prohibition clause left out? M
could then be done under the do2is
States lights and home rule:
Tina tinO.